Antipicking device for keyless locks



Nov. 9 1926.

A. G. HATCH' ANTIPICKING DEVICE FOR KEYLESS LOCKS Filed June 12, 1 5

I k W Patented Nov. 9, was.

ALEXANDER GILCHRIS'I' nn'rciror noNoLUnU, rnnnrrear on rrAwArI, 'ASSIGNOR,

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE snsamnn COMPANY, or HARTFORD, coNNno'rI- cor, A CORPORATION or CONNECTICUT.

ANTIPICKING DEVICE FOR KEYLESS LOCKS.

Application filed June 12, 1925. SrialNo. sense.

This invention relates to an anti '-picking' device for keyless locks and has for one of its objects toprovide a means for preventing the picking of permutation locks, particularly those of the type shown in my prior Patent No. 1,555,969, granted October 6, 1926, entitled Keyless locks; the patent of Meade Wildrick and Alexander G. Hatch, granted December 8, 1925, No. 1,565,132,

entitled Keyless locks; and the patent of- M'eade Wildrick, No. 1,586,496, granted May 25, 1 926, for improvements in keyless locks;

' although, as will appear more fully below,

it readily lends itself to adaption topractically any form of permutation look.

In the said prior Patent No. 1,555,969, there are shown several forms of permutation locks in each of which, however, there is a casing within which is mounted a plurality the use of a very of permutation wheels, portions ofwhich project through apertures inv the casing, whereby they may be manually rotated to control the action of the locking slide or bolt. Each of the wheels is provided with 1 a laterally projecting annular rib which is cut away at one point to provide a passage for a toe of the locking bolt. Although relatively small clearances are provided between the side faces of the wheels and.

the apertures in the casing, it is possible by thin flat instrument inserted between the wall of the aperture and the wheel until its end engages the above mentioned rib and then rotating the wheel, to

locate the position of the passage in therib, whereupon it is-a comparatively easy matter to align the said passage with the toeof the locking bolt, thereby permittingthe lock to be operatedby an unauthorized person.

In: order to overcome the possibility of thus picking the lock, it is proposed'to pro vide a shield member interposed between the aperture in the casing andthe annular rib on the wheel which shield will effectively prevent the introduction of such a thin flat instrumentto the point where it will engage the annular rib, and thereby make it impossible to ascertain the location of the said passageway.

The said shield will also serve as a dust guard to prevent the entrance of dust and dirt intothe interior of the lock, with a consequent clogging of the moving parts;

andin certain forms of lock the said shield may also perform the additionalfunction of keeping the permutation wheels accurately located without the use of hubs.

lVith theabove and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combination and arrangements of parts, more fully and herei nafter described and particularly pointed drawings Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view partly in elevation at right angles to Fig. 1, the permutation wheels as 'well as the shields being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a viewsimilar to the wheels and shields shown in section; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the shield members constituting the invention Fig. '5 .is a fragmentary sectional view,

showing theapplication of the shield to a slightly. modified form of, permutation wheel;

employed in Fig. 5;.and,

Fig. 2 but with I S5 Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the shield- Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a still further" modified form of-shield.

The general details of the lock form no part of the present-invention. and they will,

therefore, be described only to the extent 7 necessary toan understanding of the application of thejshield members. For purposes of illustration only, the shield has been here shown asappliedtoa locki such as is co mrnonly used upon automobile doors, although it will be understood, of course, that the shields are equally adapted for use with any of the various forms of lock, shown and described in the said co-pendingf applications, as well as other.

The lock here shown comprises a. casing 10, having a face plate 11, provided with a plurality of apertures 12, through which project portions of the permutation wheels 13, which wheels are rotatably mounted upon a transverse shaft l lcarried by the said casing 10. Each wheel is provided upon one 17 of the locking bolt or slide 18 may pass.

As above mentioned, the clearances between the sides ofthe permutation discs and the walls of the apertures 12 are comparatively small, but at the same time they are sutficient to permit the insertion. ofa very thin flat instrument .to engage the ribs so that by turning the wheels 13 it is possible to feel with the said instrument, the position of the passage 16. In order to prevent this, there is provided by the present invention, a shield member 20 which may be formed of sheet metal, fiber or other suitable material and which is adapted to I be interposed between adjacent wheels concentric therewith, as shown in the drawings. These shield members 20 are supported-by the wheels but do not rotate therewith, inasmuch as they do not constitute complete circles, but are cut away at one point indicated at 21, to permit the passage of the depending legs 22 of the locking member 18. Inasmuch as this member does not rotate and since it'passes through the shield member 20, it is obvious that the latter will be revented from'rotating with the wheels.

n the other hand, the said wheels are employed to support-the shields 20 as will now be described. That is to say, as: will be clear from the drawings, each wheel comprises two members 23 and 2a which may be secured together in any suitable way and'the latter of which carries upon its outer circumference, suitable indicia 25 as is customary in this type of device. The said outer -member 24 is recessed upon one face to rece'ive the member 23 andhthe latter member is made of a somewhat smaller diameter than the diameter of the recess, where by, there is provided an annular channel 26 into which one end of the shield member 20 7 may be received. The member 24; on the other hand is provided with a shoulder 27 which is also substantially the same diameteras the interiorof the shield member 20 and which is adapted to be received within theother end of the said shield member and to thereby support the same. It thus results that when the parts are assembled as shown in the drawings, that. the said shield membersrwill be held in place 7' by the. wheels, but they will not rotate'therewith, due to the projection of the legs 22 of the slide member 18, through the'longh as past the clearance spaces between the wheel faces and the walls of the apertures 12, so as to make it impossible to insert a thln flat instrument through vsuch clearances and into contact with theannular ribs 15, whereby the position of the passageways 16 might be ascertained.

In the form 01 the invention shown in Figs. 1 to at inclusive, the shields are applied to permutation discs, the outer circumferences of which are notched as indicated at 27, and the notched portions of the discs are engaged by suitable detent springs 28,

'each sarin and the art of the disc engaged thereby serving as a brake and brake drum for holding the wheels inset posi- 'tions. In Fig. 5, there is shown a slightly modified form of wheel in which the part provided with detent notches, to serve as a brake drum, instead of being upon the outer circumference of the member 24 are located upon the shoulder or projection 30, which corresponds to the shoulder or projection 2'7, above described, except that in the present case the shoulder is wider. In

this case it is necessary to provide the shields 20 with an additional cutaway portion or notch 31, (Figures 5 and 6) through which the detent spring 32, or other equivalent brake member, may project in orderto engage" the detent notches 33 formed on the shoulder 30. Otherwise, however, the construction may be the same as that above described.

In some cases, it may be desirable from a manufacturing standpoint or for other reasons, to form the detent spring as part of the shield, and this can be readily done by merely striking outan integral resllient tongue, as shown in Fig; 7 or by rigidly 1 securing to the shield a separate'tongue or detent, suitably positioned to engage the detent notches ot the wheels or other looking members. Such a shield is illustrated in Fig. 7 in which a brake member in the form of a detent 32" is indicated as having been formed by striking up and bending to shape a portion of the shield 20, su ch detent being adapted to cooperate with notches 33 in an adjacent disc of the type illustrated in Fig. 5. The shield is slotted as at 21 to permit the leg 22 of the locking member 18- to maintain its toe 17 in cooperative relation with the notched rib 15. 1

I'Vhen employed in looks of the type shown in the said Patents Nos. 1,565,132 and 1,586,496, in which the locking action is accomplished without an annular ribon the wheels, and a toe moving through a notch therein, the slot, such as 21, may be dispensed with and the shield form a complete ring, since there is no locking bolt to pass through such slot. In this case, the shield may of course be securec. in any suitable manner to the casing toprevent its rotation, or it may be formed as a rigid part of the permutation wheel and rotated therewith. It secured to the casing, it need not necessarily constitute a complete annulus." but need only extend throu'gh'a sufficient arc as well as the precise arrangement of parts,

without departing from the spirit of the invention and, therefore, it is not wished to be limited to the above disclosure, except as may be required by the claims.

What is claimed is:

'liIn a keyless look, a casing having an aperture; a locking member mounted with in said casing; a permutation wheel rotatably mounted within said casing, projecting through said aperture, and provided with a laterally projecting rib in alignment with a portion of said aperture, said rib having a passage to accommodate said locking member; and ashield within said casing between said aperture and said rib, adapted to prevent the insertion of a thin instrument between the wall of said aperture and said wheel to locate the position of said passage.

2. In a keyless look, a casing having an aperture; a locking member mounted? within said casing; a permutation wheel rotatably mounted within said casing, projecting through said aperture, and provided with a laterally projecting annular rib in alignment with a portion of said aperture,

said rib having a passage to accommodate said locking member; and a" substantially annular shield within said casing surrounding said rib, adapted to prevent the inser-.

' prevent the insertion of a thin instrument etween the wall of said aperture and said wheel to locate the pesitionolt' said passage. 4L In a keyless lock, a casing having an aperture; a locking'r'nember mounted within said casing; a permutation wheel rotatably mounted within said casing, )rojecting through said aperture, and provided with alaterally projecting annularrib in alignment with a port-ion of said aperture, said rib having a passage to accommodate said locking 1nember;' and a substantially said annular non-rotatable shield within casing surroundingsaidrib, adapted to pre- 7 vent the insertioncof a tl1in-.instruinentbetween the mu" of said aperture and said wheeltolocate the position of: said passage said shield. being cutaway .to: accommodate said locking. member j 5. In a. keyless lock, a casing having an aperture; a locking member mounted within said casing;iga permutation wheel rotat ably mounted within said casing, projecting through said aperture, and provided with a laterally projecting-"annular rib: in alignment with a portion otisaid aperture,-

said rib-havinga passage to accommodate 7 said lOCklIlg.I1IGII1iJGI'T5-{t1ltl a substantially annular non-rotatable shield within said casing surrounding said rib, adapted to prevent the insertionv of a thin instrument between the wall of said aperture andsaid wheel to locate the position of said passage, said shield beingprovided with a cut away portion to accommodate said: locking menu her and a'cut: away portion to accommodate a .detent spring;

6. In a lreyless look, a casing plurality of apertures; a' locking member mounted within said casing; permutation wheels rotatably mounted within said case ing, projecting throughsaid' apertures, each provided with a: laterally projectingannu+ lar rib in alignmentiwith. its respective aperture, said ribs having passages to accommodate said locking: member; and sub stantially annular non-rotatable shields po-p sitioned between and supported by adjacent Wheels, surrounding said ribs, adapted to prevent the insertion of a thin instrument between the walls otsaid aperturesv and said having a wheels to locate the positions otsal'd pas sages, said shields'being cut away;- to accom-- modate said locking member.

' 7. A permutation mechanism for a key-,

less lock comprising, pairs of movement-ob? structingelements, each pair consisting of an element comprising a-vstop and an element having an externally disposed slotted abutment opposing relative lock-controlling movement between said elements except when said-stop and-the slot in saidabutment are in registration, a casingfor said mecha nism having openings each: exposing a-portion of one elementqoi one of said pairs whereby it may be set, and aseriesfof anti picking guards so=disposed within said casing as to be interposed 'betweensaid openings and said slotted. abutments'."

- 8. A look comprising a casing, a locking member mounted for mo-vement therein from an. effective to an ineffective-position, and vice versa, and a pluralityof-permutation wheels-mounted in-said casing and having peripheral portions exposed through slots inthewall of said casingwhereby they may. be individually .nianipulated, said wheels having. parts lying in the paths of movement of parts of said locking, member and obstructing effective movement thereof except when set in the predetermined relation, each of said wheels having an externally disposed slotted annular abutment con- "centric with its axis of rotation to serve as its movement-obstructing portlon and a. shield-- ing element so disposed as-to form a constantly effective guard interposed between said abutment and the slot in the casing through which said wheel is manipulated, thereby concealing rendering difficult the detection, through said slots, of the location of the slots in the'abutmentsthrough which the movement-obstructing elements of said locking member may be passed I when the wheels are set. a r

9. A look comprising a casing, a locking member mounted for movement therein from an effective to an ineffective position,

and vice versa, and a plurality of permutation wheels mounted in said casing and havmg peripheral portions exposed through I slots in the wall of said casing whereby they may be individually manipulated, said Wheels having parts lying in the paths of movement'of parts of said locking member and obstruct-ingeffective movement thereof except when. set in a predetermined relation,

- each of said wheels having an externally disposed slotted annular abutment concentric with its axis of rotation to serve as its movement-obstructing portion and a shielding element comprising a continuous guard ring surrounding and concentric with its slotted abutment, therebyconcealing and rendering difficult the detection, through said slots, of the location of the slots in the abutments through which the movement-obstructing elements of said locking member may be passed when the wheels are set.

a 10. A permutation mechanism for a keyless lock comprising pairs of movement-obstructing elements, each pair consisting of an element comprising a stop and a permutation wheel set-table relatively thereto, said wheel having an externally disposed slotted "abutment opposing relative lock-controlling of one of said permutation wheels wherebyit may be set,and a series of anti-picking movement between said elements except when said stop and the slot in said abutment are in registration, a casing for said mechanism having openings each exposing a portion guards disposedbetween said openings and movement between said elements except comprises a sleeve extending continuously from the exposed portion of one of said wheels to the exposed portion of an adjacent wheel, the remalmng guard comprising a sleeve extending from the exposed portion of one of said wheels to an adjacent wall of said casing. v

12. A permutation mechanism for a key,- less lock comprising pairs of, movement-ob structing elements, each pair consisting of an element comprising a stop and a permuta tion wheel settable relatively thereto and having an externally disposed slotted abutment opposing relative movement between said elements except when said stop and the slot in said abutment are in registration, a casing for-said mechanism having openings'each exposing aportion of; one of said per'mutationwheels whereby it may be set, said wheels being mounted in said casing with their axes of rotation in alignment, and each being pro vided with a portion effective as a brake drum, brake members mounted in said casing and having frictional contact'with said vdrums to yieldingly oppose free rotation thereof, and a series of antipicking guards of which each, except one,comprises a sleeve extending continuously from the exposed portion of one of said wheels to the exposed portion of an adjacent wheel, the remaining guard comprising a sleeve extending from the exposed portion of one of saidwheels to an adjacent wall of said casin certain of said guards being slotted along portions not readily accessible from the openings in; said casing, to provide for a frictional engagement between said brake members and said drums. a

13. A permutation mechanism fora keyless lock comprising pairs of movement-obstructing elements, each pair consisting of an element comprising a stop and permutation wheel settable relatively thereto and having an externally disposed slotted abuts ment opposing relative lock-controlling movement between said elements except when. said stop and the slot in said abutment are; in registration, a casing for said mechanism having openings each exposing'a portion of one of said permutation wheels whereby it may be set, said wheels being mounted in said casing with their axes of rotation in alignment, and each being provided with a portion effective as a brake drum, brake members mounted in said'caslock-controlling 1 portion ofone of said Wheels to the exposed portion of an adjacent Wheel, the remaining guard comprising a sleeve extending from the exposed portion of one of said Wheels to an adjacent Wall of said casing, certain of said guards being provided with a resilient element held in frictional engagement with the brake drum of an adjacent Wheel and serving as its brake member. 15

14. Alook comprising. a casing, a lockcontrolling mechanism therein including a plurality of permutation Wheels having their axes of rotation aligned, said Wheels having indicia-bearing portions of relatively large diameter accessible through openings in said casing so as to be independently settable, and anti-picking guards comprising sleeves extending from Wheel to Wheel and having telescoping jointstherewith, said guards'em closing the differentiated lock-controlling elements of said Wheels and preventing detection of their relative locations by implements inserted through'the openings in said casing.

ALEXANDER GILCHRIST HATCH. 

